Page 20 of Veil of Silence

The news coverage had made her relationship with Jacob Morgan public. Austin couldn’t blame her for being wary of strangers.

“My father’s motel room looked like he left it expecting to come back,” Austin said. “But he didn’t.”

Concern flickered across her face. “Have you reported him missing?”

“Before I left his motel room in Knoxville I called it in. However, he’s an adult who’s been unreachable less than a day.” Austin rubbed the back of his neck. “I know how this works.”

Nora’s arms tightened across her chest.

Austin hated how reasonable his explanation sounded, especially when none of this felt reasonable.

She leaned against the edge of the desk. “Why did you come here?”

“Your name was on his phone.” He paused. “Why?”

Her expression remained stoic with caution. “What did your father tell you about me?”

“He and I weren’t exactly comparing notes.”

Her gaze lingered on him as if she’d heard more in that answer than he’d intended.

Maybe she had.

“Agent Prudence Prine contacted your father after Christian came home,” Nora said. “Then he called me to ask some questions. This update obviously piqued his interest.”

“Did my father mention Roy Callahan?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “Why?”

“Callahan’s name was in his notes. So was Everett Voss’s.”

Nora pushed away from the desk. “What did he find?”

“I don’t know. That’s why I drove here.”

Before she could say anything else, her mother’s voice carried from the kitchen.

Nora glanced toward the partially closed door, and tension spread across her face again.

A few seconds later, someone answered.

Christian.

Nora went still.

Whatever she was protecting, it somehow involved her brother.

“Nora.” Austin lowered his voice. “What did my father say to you?”

Her gaze returned to him. Something in her face softened—not toward him exactly, but enough that he saw how tired she was beneath all that control.

She drew in a deep breath before saying, “He told me he never stopped working Christian’s case.”

Austin’s chest tightened. He wasn’t surprised. Not really. But hearing someone else say it stirred an old resentment he didn’t have time to deal with today.

“What did he find?” he asked.

“He wouldn’t tell me. He said our family had been through enough, and he wouldn’t give us another theory unless he could prove it.”